You Just Gotta Wait for the Rain
by Cellobratelife
Summary: A oneshot focusing on how Alex copes after Jack's death a year after the incidents in Cairo.


Disclaimer: I don't own Alex Rider, and never will own Alex Rider. Frankly, I'm glad I don't because I don't think I'd do it justice. I DO, however, own this fic.

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The graveyard was quiet. Rain drops glistened on the grass from one of the light showers that was usual for spring in Washington D.C. It was quiet, and only a few people ghosted between gravestones, paying their respects to lost loved ones. There was a Middle Aged couple, visiting a parent's grave perhaps, and an elderly lady placing flowers at the foot of a memorial for her dearly departed husband. And there was a lone teenaged boy, standing in front of a shiny gravestone, the sheen belying its age. The teen stood stiffly, a bouquet of carnations clutched in one of his hands. He regarded the marker with glossy eyes, holding back tears.

Jacqueline Anne Starbright

Beloved daughter, sister, and guardian.

May she rest in peace.

Birth: April 21, 1983.

Death: March 31, 2011 *

It was early March, almost a year after Jack had died in Cairo. Alex still had nightmares of Jack's death, seeing the car bomb go off, remembering the pain he had felt watching his guardian and surrogate sister being killed, and remembering the sick motives of Razim who had killed her. Alex knelt next to Jack's gravestone, and put the flowers at its foot. He gently ran his hand over the cool marble.

"Hey Jack," He whispered. "It's been almost a year since you… it's been almost a year without you. I'm living in San Francisco now, with the Pleasures. Things have been okay. I don't have to deal with MI6 anymore, they've finally left me alone. Hopefully for good. I'm back in school, got all caught up with summer classes. I'm in my sophomore year now, Sab's in her junior year. I'm on the football- err, soccer, I guess they call it- team, and made some new friends. I think you would've liked them. I still keep up with Tom, back in England. His parents have finally gotten divorced, and he's living with his mum now." He paused. "Everything's finally looking up. I guess you were right, you always said that things would get better." He dryly laughed. " You'd tell me, 'Alex, sweetie. Don't worry, it'll all work out. You just gotta wait for the rain, hun.'" Alex stood up, paced away from the stone, and then came back, leaning against it. "The rain's here Jack. The drought's ended. But Jack," his voice broke, "at what price has it come?" A few rogue tears streaked down Alex's face. "I've been waiting so long Jack, so long. But I never thought that I'd be here without you." Alex's chest shook slightly from trying to repress his sobs. "I don't know what to do. I don't know what to do without you. You've always been there for me, even when nobody else was. But I couldn't be there for you when you needed me, and that's something that I'll never forgive myself for." Alex straightened up, and let out a broken "I'm sorry. So sorry," before letting loose the sobs that shook his frame.

The rain started up again, at first just a light drizzle, but quickly became a downpour. Alex didn't move. He just stood there, with Jack, and let the tears run down his face alongside the raindrops.

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*Jack's real name is never mentioned in the books, so I took a bit of artistic liberty and made her Jacqueline, because let's be honest, nobody is going to put "Jack" on a gravestone. Also, her birthday and death date are never specified (at least not that I'm aware of, if you know the official dates please pm me or leave a review!) so I made those up too. I put her death as March 31 2011 because that's when Scorpia Rising came out. I put her birthday as 1983, because that would have made her 28 in 2011, the age the books listed. I just selected the day and month randomly.

AN: Hey, itsa me, Mario *cough cough not really please don't sue me I don't own Nintendo*. Anyway, I knew that I wanted to do this oneshot ever since I heard the phrase "you just gotta wait for the rain" in a song I was listening to (I have no idea what song, I blame Pandora Radio). I didn't know how, so I just stuck it in a doc and put it aside for another day. Today I ran across it, and BOOM this drabble wrote itself in less than 30 minutes. I've no idea where it came from. Oh well, I hope you enjoyed it :) If you have time, please leave a review saying if you loved/hated it and if you think it can be improved. I'm grateful to any and all feedback. Happy reading :)


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